FOCUS BIM
THE BIG PICTURE
FM needs to wake up to the true value of building information modelling, argues
Lee Ramsey, Design Management and BIM Director at Morgan Sindall Construction
Digital construction has become
an integral part of the built
environment. However, many facilities
managers have yet to fully realise the
potential benefits of its implementation
across the project lifecycle. This must
change if the FM sector is to fully benefit
from the significant advantages o ered by
the technology and new way of working.
Morgan Sindall Construction has
developed a digital toolkit (see References,
note 1) designed to help local authorities,
universities and developers optimise
36 APRIL 2020
their construction plans in line with the
government’s Construction 2025 strategy
(2). The strategy aims to facilitate lower
construction costs, faster delivery and
reduced emissions.
Design is probably the first thing that
comes to mind when considering the use
of digital construction. While virtual reality
goggles and 3D modelling are integral to
digital construction, it’s also about the
management of information at each stage
and creating digital and built assets that
allow buildings to flourish long a er the
project has completed. Treating the build
and operate stages as an a erthought is
detrimental to a successful outcome. The
most e iciently run buildings use digital
construction to provide the client with
valuable asset data, minimising spend on
maintenance and other operational costs.
Digital construction creates a simplified
process for facilities and operations
management teams by combining all
relevant pieces of project data into a
single platform. At the end of the build
stage, contractors can hand over both